After The End
by Lysi
Summary: Edward has had enough of admiring Renesmee from afar - he wants to actually spend some time with her, so he declares a Daddy-Daughter day. Without Renesmee, Bella and Jacob are at loose ends and decide to go hang out in the garage, just like old times.


Disclaimer: I did not write Twilight nor do I own any of the characters, forever and ever, amen.

Summary: Edward has had enough of admiring his daughter from afar – he wants to actually spend some time with his child, for once. Bella and Jacob are left at loose ends without Renesmee and decide to go hang out in the garage, just like old times. After all that's happened, what is their friendship like now? Post-Breaking Dawn.

Sooo…here we go…my first Twilight fanfiction. I loved the series but was unsatisfied with the ending – I felt there was so much left to be explored. The book was so centered on Renesmee, but what about Bella and Edward? Bella and Jacob? How did life carry on after "the end"? So, I decided to write about one thing that I always wondered about – Bella and Jacob's friendship, now that everything is resolved romantically and such. I hope you guys like it, and I may write more…depends on the response this one gets ;)

****

We were sitting around inside, as per usual for a sunny day, playing with Renesmee. Or, to be accurate, the gorgeous toddler was graciously enduring being passed between three sets of arms – mine, Jacob's and Rosalie's. It had only been a few months since our confrontation with the Volturi, but already my baby was looking very different – her copper curls had grown ever longer, unwilling as I was to cut them, and she was taller and leaner. I was absolutely relishing this chance to get to know my daughter, free from stress and with eternity stretching out in front of us…and what a delightful creature she was! Renesmee's mind was filled with curiosity, ideas, and lovely musings on the world around her. As a human, I'd never paid attention to children, and as such I didn't know whether her wondering thoughts were typical of children or unique to her. I suspected the latter, though it may have been my maternal pride speaking.

Just now, we were introducing her to the concept of drawing pictures. She had little patience with it, seeing as she could already put pictures directly into people's minds rather than bothering with paper and pen. We were taking turns trying to show her what to do – and to be truthful, I was more than a little embarrassed about my level of skill. Rosalie's elegant hand swept the pen across the paper, creating animals and flowers. Renesmee put her hand to my cheek – _Mama, is _this _how other people show their pictures?_ She was still understanding the concept that she was uniquely talented, and didn't seem quite satisfied with the idea that other people could only communicate by talking (except her father, of course.) "Well, no, darling…people do this for fun." _Fun? This isn't fun. _"No, sweetheart, it's not fun for you, but other people like drawing pictures." _Why?_

I was stumped. The only fun I found drawing pictures was taking pride in the fact that my less-than-skilful drawings were at least prettier than Jacob's chicken scratch. "Ask Carlisle, dearest," I said helplessly. Once again I was shadowed with the depressing feeling that I was able to answer fewer and fewer of my daughter's questions. Carlisle, on the other hand, had endless patience and five hundred years of knowledge at his disposal, and thus was an excellent go-to when my very bright daughter floored me with her questions.

"I think we're just boring her," Rosalie commented, doodling idly. "We should find something else to do. Edward, what do you think?"

Edward had been sprawled gracefully on the couch, staring into space. This was a little unusual for him – usually he was staring at our child in wonderment. I'd been meaning to ask him about it, but amusing Renesmee was a full-time job.

"Why are you asking me?" he sighed.

"Good question," replied his devastatingly beautiful sister. "She's your daughter."

Edward suddenly launched to his feet – we all jumped back a little bit in surprise – and clenched his fists. "That's it!" he said loudly. "I've had it!"

"_Edward_," I said in shock. "What's wrong with you?"

"Renesmee _is_ my daughter," Edward continued, "although you wouldn't know it, seeing as I barely get to see her. You three have a _monopoly_ on her!"

My jaw dropped open a bit in shock, while Jacob looked a little self-righteous. I wouldn't debate his moronic possessiveness over _my _daughter, not now, anyways. With Edward in a rare state of annoyance, I would let that particular issue drop. None of us said anything.

Edward looked a little sheepish, like he'd been expecting to be challenged. When our thoughts (well, Jacob's and Rosalie's) made it clear that no one was going to argue with him, he deflated a little bit. "And, well, I'd like to spend some time with Renesmee," he finished lamely. "Would you like that, beloved?" he asked Renesmee with a smile. He knew, of course, that she would love it – Daddy was among her very favourite people and she treasured every moment with him.

Renesmee flashed her dimples at him and skipped into his arms, with a grace resembling her aunt Alice's. She was showing him something with her hand on his face.

Jacob, Rose and I sat there staring somewhat helplessly. Our "full-time job," as it were, had abandoned us for Daddy and we were at loose ends. Edward furrowed his brow.

"It's making me nervous, having you three stare at me."

"What are _we_ supposed to do?" demanded Jacob.

"I don't know, go amuse yourself somehow," Edward said distractedly, more focused on the angel in his lap. "Today is a Daddy and Renesmee day. You and Bella can go find something to do, and I bet Emmet's missed Rose."

"Damn right I have!" came a boom from across the house. "I've been abandoned for a toddler!"

"Rosalie, dear, come spend some time with him," Esme's sweet tones were heard. "I think Jasper's tired of wrestling matches."

Rosalie sighed a little and got to her feet. Smiling a little at the thought of her incorrigible husband, she floated gracefully out of the room.

That left me and Jacob.

"Edward…" I started. He looked up at me, love and trust plain in his eyes.

"Yes, my love?"

"Nevermind." I wouldn't be cruel and take his Daddy/Daughter day away from him. I _had_ been selfish, greedily hoarding time with my angel baby. "Come on, Jake, let's go…"

"Let's go what?" Jake rumbled.

"Hey, you remember that old motorcycle in Billy's garage?"

A grin spread hesitantly across Jake's features. What seemed like a hundred years ago, when I'd stumbled up to his front door with two broken motorbikes in the trunk of my truck, we'd found a third bike lying behind Billy's shed. Jake figured his dad had forgotten about it for years, but we never got around to fixing it up. Edward looked slightly confused – I'd never talked in detail with him over what had happened during the most painful part of my life to date. Jake, on the other hand, understood perfectly.

"Okay, Bells, I can tell we're not wanted here. Let's clear out," he laughed. It was obvious he really didn't want to be away from Renesmee, and neither did I, but we were both trying for Edward's sake. It was still funny to me that Jake would be doing anything for Edward's sake – but, then again, the events we'd been through would change anybody.

Jake picked up his huge frame and ambled out through the door. I followed him on my unusually graceful feet, and shut the door behind us just in time to hear –

"Daddy, where are Jacob and Mama going?"

****

Sitting in the old garage was a strange feeling; immensely strange. It was so different yet so the same. Jacob and I had hauled the old bike around from behind the shed with total ease, compared to the trouble we would have had just a year ago. Watching his powerful muscles work, it hit me just how _huge_ he was. Even though I was now an indestructible immortal, I suddenly remembered that I was only all of five-foot-four, and I felt very small – just as I had when he'd first started his supernatural growth spurt. Remembering that I was still just short Bella was somehow comforting to me – it was another little bit of myself that I'd retained.

At the moment Jake was busy digging around for his tools in the disorganized mess that was Billy's garage. He swore as some kind of metal object fell off the shelf and hit him square on the top of his head; I laughed and caught it as it ricocheted off his thick skull.

"You think you're so fancy," Jacob muttered. "Last year that woulda been another trip to the ER…"

I laughed again, because it was true.

"Don't you have some kind of vampy superpower that can tell me where to find my tools?" he joked. "Geez Bella, aren't you supposed to be more useful now?"

"Nope," I grinned. "Remember, my superpower is an impenetrable brain."

"What you really mean is that there's actually nothing in there. That's why nothing works on you."

I'd actually worried myself that my brain was abnormal or defective, but now that I knew it was just an extra ability, I was able to retort to his quip. "Talk about thick-skulled, look whose head just deflected a big chunk of metal."

"It's a torque wrench," Jacob corrected me with a chuckle. He finally pulled a big black box out from the mess. It was covered in dust.

"Okay, let's get started on this baby," he said with boyish excitement. "You gonna help this time or just watch?"

"Just watch," I replied. "You know me, Jake, I'm no good with this stuff."

Jacob turned to face me, his eyes semi-serious. "You know, Bella, that makes me happy."

"Oh?" I was a little confused by his sudden intensity.

"Yeah," he said with a little frown. "I guess I was worried that you would, you know, turn out like the rest of them. The Cullens, I mean."

My quick vampire brain was attempting to piece it all together. "Oh…you mean…"

"Yeah. Good at everything, perfect…kind of intimidating."

I mulled that over for a second. It was a good point – I guess I'd sort of assumed that when I woke up as a vampire, things would just come to me naturally. And they did, to a certain extent – I was no longer a hopeless klutz, my mind worked faster, and I could see and hear more than ever before. On the other hand, there were still some things I was no good at – drawing, for example, or playing the piano.

"I kind of wondered that too," I answered slowly, picking my words with thought. "Now that I think about it, though, the Cullens have already had dozens of years to get good at things…that's probably why they seem so perfect."

Jake sighed and leaned back against the step I was sitting on, his eyes drifting aimlessly to the ceiling. "Are we gonna be like that? Hundreds of years in the future, what's going to keep us…you know, like ourselves?"

I knew the concept of eternity had always been really weird to Jake. If not for Renesmee, he would have gladly accepted a normal lifespan, eventually growing old and dying like anyone would. I'd accepted it much more readily, but at the same time, I could see his point.

"The Cullens _are_ still themselves, though, Jake," I explained, thinking over my words as I said them. "You know, Emmet is still a little boy at heart, Alice still has her quirks and sense of humour, and Esme's just as sweet and mothering as she ever was. Some things just don't change too much, I guess."

Jake took a moment to chew it over in his head. He was nodding slowly now. I could tell that he wasn't totally reassured, but the set of his shoulders was looser and less agitated than before.

"I'm glad we're still friends, Bella."

So was I, I was surprised to notice. I wasn't surprised at my gladness, but at the fact that we _were_ still friends, and now – we were friends the way that we _should_ be. No unresolved feelings, no complications, just Jacob and Bella. Sitting in the garage like old times. In the moments where my thoughts hadn't been totally centered on my husband and child, I'd wondered about the state of our friendship. I knew Jake didn't bear me hard feelings anymore, but did he still even care about me? Or did he just stick around for Renesmee? I wondered if he'd asked himself the same questions about me.

"I'm glad too, Jake," I said honestly. "I wondered if we were still friends, you know. Or if you were just sticking around for Renesmee."

Jacob twisted around to face me, his eyes calm and serious. "Of course, I won't try and tell you that Renesmee isn't the most important thing in my life," he said with total, calm, peaceful assurance. "She isn't the _only_ important thing in my life, though. I just didn't know if you still wanted me sticking around, now that you have your bloodsuck- I mean, Edward."

I laughed. Old habits died hard. "'Course I like having you around, Jake. You're my best man, remember?"

Jacob grinned a wide, wolfy grin and twisted back around towards the bike. I watched him work, feeling totally content, until dark rolled around and Billy called us inside, just like the first summer we'd been friends.

****

When we got back to the house, Renesmee came running up to the door to greet us. She threw herself into Jacob's arms with a squeal of glee and then reached over to kiss me. I kissed her nose.

"How was your day with Daddy, sweetheart?"

Renesmee put her hand to my face. Pictures flashed through my mind of the Cullen kitchen, absolutely splattered with…eggs? Flour? Milk?

A fresh explanation followed – following Sue around the kitchen at Grandpa's house, mixing strange things into a bowl and then putting it into a very hot oven. The strange lumpy mixture coming out of the oven, Grandpa looking excited, and Sue saying "No, Charlie, these are for later." Renesmee had had to go home then, and she never found out what Sue had been doing in the kitchen.

"We made cookies," came Edward's exhausted voice from the kitchen. "Renesmee was curious."

Jacob lifted Renesmee out of his arms and into mine, stepping into the house with me close behind him. A scent hit me – unappetizing but warm and rich. I recognized another very wolfy scent. "_Sweeeeet_," Jacob breathed under his breathe. "Chocolate chip!"

"Hurry up, bro, or they'll be gone!" Seth called. Jacob stampeded towards the kitchen as Edward appeared from around the corner, swiftly encasing me in a hug. Renesmee wriggled away from me and followed her Jacob, laughing as she tried to match his quick pace.

"How was your day, love?" I teased. Edward laughed into my hair.

"Delightful. How was yours?"

I smiled and reached up to kiss him.

"Not bad at all."

****

Haha…and there you have it. There are a couple of other post-Breaking Dawn relationships I want to explore, such as Bella/Edward, Bella/Charlie, etc. I might write some more if this story is received well. If you do review and want me to continue, include in your review what relationships you'd like to see me write about. If one is particularly popular I'll write it.

Thanks guys, hope you enjoyed!!

-Lysi


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